Predators, Manticores, Dwarf-Lions, the Mary Celeste, Sirens, and Illusions

OK, so just a few things to note based on some recent thoughts and a couple posts from William Tychonievich over on his blog.

I recently wrote about a Predator (perhaps an Ancient one) who preys on Men.  As part of this whole theme, in the reality we currently inhabit, I went out and shot a red fox who was setting up shop next to my chickens within no more than an hour (probably close to 30 minutes) of publishing that post.  Which seemed kind of strange.

The poor fox picked the wrong time to get bagged by me, because now it finds itself an unwitting object lesson and analogy for the story that is developing here.

I compared the fox indirectly with the 'bad guys' (Predators, like Saruman or Omar-Brigham), in comparing it to a chameleon.  In saying that, I actually made the comment that a red fox is anything but a Chameleon, since the red sure didn't help it blend in with anything (as I looked out my window at the pasture, its red fur against the white snow pretty much signed its death warrant on my farm).  I did note, however, that perhaps this is a good omen, and that the Predator's camouflage and days of hiding in the shadows was coming to an end.

Over on WJT's blog, he had kind of picked up the Predator baton, and actually dug into the meaning of Chameleon in his post "An old pre-dator, chameleons, and le Demiurge" (which given my recent pentiant for name is something you think I would have done, but it didn't cross my mind).

As he notes, Chameleon's etymology literally gives us "Dwarf-Lion" (or it could also be "on the ground lion"), and he connects this reference or history of the Chameleon to a lion-headed serpent.  Somehow, as these connections go, this also brings us to a manticore, with William referencing a book called "A Spell for Chameleon", that has a red manticore on its cover (Chameleon is not the name of the manticore in the picture).

In his latest post, "Red chameleons, manticores, and vampires", he followed up on the thought a bit more, and made the connection between Chameleons, Red Manticores, and Lion-Headed Serpents a bit more explicit through various pictures, connections, and syncs.  We also have Vampires in there as well, for good measure, as another example of predators who blend in to their surroundings (again, like a chameleon).

The mention of manticores actually took my mind to a scene from one of those childhood movies I referenced in my post "Speech problems: Dream 3 of 3",.  That movie is the Last Unicorn, and my siblings and I watched it quite a few times growing up.  As a young kid, the Red Bull would freak the absolute crap out of me.  Here he is:

Perhaps a symbol of our "Baal-Ox" a name I have associated with a Balrog demon from back in 2020 and whose son, apparently, was defeated by Asenath (Peter Jackson's Balrog seems to share similarities with this bull, at least).

But the Red Bull is not actually what came to my mind as I read WJT's posts and manticores.  I actually thought of a scene earlier in the movie, where the Last Unicorn (the future Lady Almalthea) has been captured by Mommy Fortuna, who runs something called the Midnight Carnival.  I have actually read the book as well (the book is very cleverly written, but this is one instance where I thought the movie nailed the story better than the book on which it was based).

Mommy Fortuna's Carnival and her spells are entirely based on deception and illusion.  She captures animals, and through her spells, grants them disguises so that patrons of her carnival see the animals as something different.  For example, she captures an old harmless lion, and has him appear as a fearsome Manticore.

This scene (and the corresponding book chapter) is literally the only other place I have ever even heard the name Manticore before, which is why when WJT called them out specifically, my mind went to it.  Here is movie clip when Schmendrick, a magician who works for Mommy Fortuna, has the Unicorn look through the various disguises:

The Unicorn correctly states that Mommy Fortuna's magic is limited - it cannot truly change things.  It can only disguise.

When one views the Beings that fall under Fortuna's magic, you could say that your mind is confused.  Bewitched. Confounded.  You are not seeing the Truth, but are surrounded by illusions.

Schmendrick makes an interesting comment, though, in saying that Fortuna should never have captured real magical creatures, such as the Unicorn or the Harpy, for they are "True" creatures, and "Truth melts her magic, always".  Fortuna's weakness is Truth.

Fortuna's name is an interesting choice.  Fortune, which can mean either something like luck, but also wealth, is something that has also come up in my writings here, specifically with the name of "Ausir", the Elvish name that means the same thing as Fortune.  This name I have associated with both Joseph and Faramir-Eonwe, as the fathers of the Family of Light.

But here we have Fortune associated with this evil enchantress who captures and traps other Beings, and whose specialty is in illusion.  This is probably her ultimately Illusion - the name itself that she has adopted (in the carnival, though not shown in the movie but captured in the books, she also takes on her own illusion in the show, becoming "Elli", the spirit of old age).  

And, of course, she is "Mommy" or Mother.

You may see where I am going with this already, but in the analogy running through my mind, Mommy Fortuna here represents the Great and Abominable Church, and the Mother who sits on top of that:  Ungoliant.

I actually had a dream of Ungoliant last night.  My second in a little over a week.  It wasn't particularly pleasant.  

In any case, what I am trying to suggest is that just as Mommy Fortuna works through imprisonment, illusions, and deception, so to does Ungoliant weave her webs in much the same way.  Her power is in lies.  Part of the story I believe in is some restoration of Truth - true stories - that, as Schmendrick says, melts the the darkness.  Light is restored and see things as they are.  The void now de-void its power.

The family of Light escapes the darkness, or something like that.

Which brings me to the Mary Celeste and Sirens.

WJT, in the comment section to his post "Surround, Confound", brought up the Mary Celeste.  This was a 'ghost' ship that was found completely abandoned by its crew, with no sign of how they left (other than a missing lifeboat) and no apparent reason for why they needed to (the ship was perfectly seaworthy).  So, the mystery of the Mary Celeste is what would have caused those men to leave the ship?

In my own comment back, I reference that history, and then remarked that Sirens, the mythological Greek Beings, would definitely have caused that.  In fact, if that ship had been found not off the coast of the Azores but off of the mythical Anthemoessa or Sirenum Scopuli (different names for the island the Sirens were said to live on), no better reason could have been given.  It would have been said the crew heard the Sirens' calls, hopped into their lifeboat, and went on to demise by the hand of the sea or monsters.  The condition of the boat and the absence of its crew would have perfectly fit that story.

In that post, WJT had related a dream in which 3 women were singing, which brought to mind this thought of the Sirens, and this connection with the Mary Celeste in my own mind (after he had mentioned the Mary Celeste as a ship - I didn't actually think of it until he wrote of the ship).

The ship name, Mary Celeste, is interesting.  We have Celeste, meaning heavenly or celestial.  And we have Mary, which has come up before in discussions of Miriel, and from that we know means "Star of the Sea", among some other options.

Putting that together, we have "Star of the Sea of Heaven" or maybe "Heavenly Star of the Sea".  Something like that.  What I want to emphasize here, is we have a Star and we have Heaven, and by Heaven I am going to assume "Space", because, well, that has been the general theme here for a bit, so I am going to continue with that.

Thus, the name of the ship hearkens to a heavenly or space-faring vessel, perhaps, traveling over a much different "sea".  And the Star might also allude to a Stone onboard that vessel, much like the Anor Stone that was aboard Nephi's ship (which I believe also sailed across heavenly skies).

This is a story I have already explored here, but I wanted to capture that I think all of the thoughts above, including Mommy Fortuna, give us a hint as to why and how a Stone is involved in this space-faring journey, perhaps, or whatever it is that Faramir passes through.

In my story, recall, Faramir, or somebody, is going to say a prayer about travelling through "many troubled skies" to get to a place (the Green Country, or Olaha Shinehah).  Others will later remark, per a dream I had, at his return that he will have been raised up "from troubled seas".  

A quick scan at Etymonline gives us some interesting definitions for 'troubled', including "disturbed, cloudy, turbid mix, etc." Turbid means something like not clear, muddy, foul, and most importantly, full of confusion.

So, whatever seas that Faramir is passing through is are seas full of confusion.  Why is this so?

Well, I think the Book of Mormon holds the answer to that, and specifically the vision of Nephi.  In his vision, he sees that the "Great Whore" (Ungoliant) sits upon the Many Waters (the realms surrounding the worlds and lands of Earth... outer space, perhaps).  Because of her presence, the Great and Abominable Church thrives, while the Church of the Lamb is very small, scattered, and with very small 'dominion'.  I have covered a few of these members of the Church of the Lamb with Asenath and Eowyn, for example, and their respective 'dominions'.

I also mentioned that the Three Disciples' discussion amongst themselves (again, from my words, and as a guess as to what they mean) contains the remark that Eowyn is holding out against the darkness in her own respective dominion in Tirion.

So, the forces of Good are scattered and surrounded by a confounding darkness, brought on and maintained by the Mother of Harlots Ungoliant/ Mommy Fortuna.  The trick will be to get Faramir safely across this great darkness, and all of the lies, confusion, and traps the darkness contains, in order to reach Tirion.

Strangely, I believe both the dilemma and its resolution are mentioned in the Book of Mormon, though in a different context.  Speaking of the time when Helaman's son, Helaman, was leading the people, and whose two sons Lehi and Nephi were preaching,  Mormon mentions that the situation everyone in is pretty nice.  Thousands were being baptized, and there was so much prosperity, that everyone was 'astonished beyond measure'.  Here is what Mormon says of things:

Yea, thus we see that the gate of heaven is open unto all, even to those who will believe on the name of Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God.

Yea, we see that whosoever will may lay hold upon the word of God, which is quick and powerful, which shall divide asunder all the cunning and the snares and the wiles of the devil, and lead the man of Christ in a strait and narrow course across that everlasting gulf of misery which is prepared to engulf the wicked—

And land their souls, yea, their immortal souls, at the right hand of God in the kingdom of heaven, to sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and with Jacob, and with all our holy fathers, to go no more out.

Mormon, of course, is using this language figuratively in describing the many blessings the people received.  However, I am going to commandeer these words, and use them more literally for Faramir and those who will make the journey across the Many Waters and land in Holy Places.

It is the Word of God that Faramir will need to have with him on his voyage as he travels the 'straight and narrow' course to Tirion (the Kingdom of Heaven).  And that Word, I think, will be a combination of what is on the Sawtooth Stone and the stories that Eowyn will provide through the Anor and Ithil Stone link.  That is my best guess, at least.  And perhaps the other records and witness that will also come.  I am not sure about the order of things (obviously!).

With this complete story - or with a complete Truth - I think Faramir is able to make it through the darkness or void.  Without it, I think he ends up like the crew of the Mary Celeste - at some point, he is pulled off of the the narrow way, and becomes lost amid the void.   Some Siren song or false illusion would win in the absence of that story.  With it, though, I think he has an answer for every potential trap, deceit, or disguise that has been laid, and makes it through OK.

Again, I am not sure how that works in practice, or how Sirens or traps will be sprung on the journey, or how Faramir combats them with his own songs or truth, but from a purely 'thematic' approach, it makes sense to me.  As in, if I was writing a fairy tale, I could probably envision it.

In WJT's dream that had those 3 women (and was repeated 3 times), he said there was a man singing on the TV, and who harmonized with the singers.  Perhaps this is one symbolic way of representing what I am trying to visualize and describe.  The songs that Faramir had at his disposal fit in perfect harmony with the the songs of the Vampire-Spider-Sirens sing, so that their song has no power over him, and his song was a perfect answer, or harmony, to their own.  Thus, he passes through safely.  Almost like safely passing through angels standing as sentinels, or prison guards.  I don't know. 

Lastly, I wanted to go back to "Dwarf-Lions" quickly.  In his post, WJT brings up "Leo" in discussing the the Dwarf-Lions, or by that point, also recognized as the Lion-headed serpent.  Just yesterday, Leo, who comments on this blog, wrote a post on his own blog "Reimagining the Book of Mormon" that is all about Dwarves!  I thought that was pretty interesting to see that all happening at the same time.  Here is the link to Leo's post where he explores some of his ideas about Dwarves and Gentiles:

https://reimaginingthebom.com/who-are-the-gentiles/